Wait, You Can Make Cheese at Home?

by Paula Butler

Why every kitchen should have a little cheesemaking in it

After more than twenty years of doing this, I’m still surprised by how many people I meet who have no idea you can make cheese at home. Most assume it takes a cave, special equipment and a lot of patience.

It doesn’t. With milk and a few basic supplies, you can make real cheese in your own kitchen. Ricotta is an easy place to start, and ours uses a little heavy cream with the milk for a richer, creamier batch. Mozzarella takes a little longer your first time, then gets quicker with practice. Cream cheese and cottage cheese take more waiting but very little hands on work.

What you can do with it is the fun part. Fresh ricotta on toast. A warm, creamy dip for game day. Cream cheese with chives and cracked pepper, or with peaches for dessert. Lasagna, pancakes and stuffed pasta shells, all made with cheese you pulled together in your own kitchen.

There’s a practical side too. A gallon of milk and a couple of cups of heavy cream can make a generous batch of ricotta. Whether homemade saves money depends on what milk and cream cost where you live, but it gives you the pleasure of making something fresh for your own table.

The best part is that you’re in charge. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic, honey, jalapeño, lemon zest or fruit, and choose the flavors you love. Fresh cheese with fresh additions should be kept refrigerated and enjoyed according to your recipe’s storage guidance.

It’s also a skill you keep. After a few batches, you stop following the recipe word for word and start understanding what the milk is doing. That stays with you.

One tip for your first batch: check the milk your recipe calls for before you shop. Ultra pasteurized milk may not set well in some recipes. Then grab a pot, a strainer, a thermometer and a draining bag, and start with ricotta. Our free videos on our YouTube channel will walk you through it, and if you’d rather have the supplies gathered in one box, that’s what our cheese making kits are for.

A little cheesemaking goes a long way in a kitchen.

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